Functional-polygyny
Guides
Brachyponera
Asian needle ants
Brachyponera is a genus of ponerine ants established by Emery in 1900, originally as a subgenus of Euponera. The genus comprises small to medium-sized ants (3–7 mm) with triangular mandibles, native to Africa, southern Asia, and Australia, with highest diversity in Southeast Asia. Several species have become invasive, notably B. chinensis (Asian needle ant) in the eastern United States and New Zealand, and B. sennaarensis (samsum ant) throughout the Middle East. These invasive species are significant public health concerns due to severely painful stings capable of causing fatal anaphylactic shock.